Power drive mechanism for discharge gates



July 16, 1968 w. L. FLOEHR POWER DRIVE MECHANISM FOR DISCHARGE GATES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 4, 1966 INVENTOR WAL In? L. FLOEHR H/S ATTORNEY July 16, 1968 w. L. FLOEHR 3,392,600

POWER DRIVE MECHANISM FOR DISCHARGE GATES Filed Feb. 4. 1966 ZSheets-Shefl INVENTOR WA TER L. FLOEHR HIS ATTORNEY United States PatentC .Ohio .Filed Feb. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 525,167

11 Claims. 01. 74-606) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE (A railway hopper discharge gate assembly having a discharge gate slidably mounted on a frame and drivable between open and closed position by power drive mechanism comprised of counterpart housed gear trains mounted on opposite sides of the frame and drivably connected to the gate through a common drive shaft. Each train is bidirectional and formed of a multiplicity of intermeshing spur gears and is selectively drivable through any of a plurality of the gears for varying the mechanical advantage of the input of the gate. Housings for the gear trains mount the trains andthe drive shaft and are mounted on the frame either for a full release or for partial release and swinging about a common transverse axis to disengage the drive shaft from the gate. A slidable and non-rotative connectionbetween each end of the drive shaft and the gear atrthe driven end of the adjoining train enables the shaft and trains to be disconnected by detaching the housing from the frame. I

This invention relates generally to discharge gates for railway hopper cars and more particularly to power drive mechanisms for such gates. '"An object of the invention is to'provide an improved power drive mechanism for a discharge gate of a railway hopper car whereby-a drive shaft of the gate can be driven through a power gear train from one or each side of the car and in the latter case requires no connection between the gear trains other than the drive-shaft.

"Another object of the invention is to provide for driving a discharge gate, power gearing which is rugged, compact and bidirectional. -"An additional object of the invention is to provide power drive mechanism for a discharge gate whereby a plurality of different gear ratios are made selectively available to an operator for enabling him to drive the gate'under both normal and special conditions.

"Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the :appended claims and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGUREI is a side elevational view of a discharge gate assembly. including a preferred embodiment of the power drive mechanism of the present invention.

-FIGURE 2'is an end elevational view ofthe structure of FIGURE 1, with portions broken away to more clearly illustrate certain of the details of construction;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along lines 3--3 of FIGURE 1 with the lock and some other parts removed; and

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIGURE 3. I Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts, the improved power gearmechanism of this. invention can be used for driving or operating a discharge gate of a railway hopper car, whetherthe gate is of the conventional size to close a 13"x24" opening or of the recently introduced outsize for closing an opening as large as 24" x 50", to permit more rapid discharge of lading. As applied to an outsize V 3,392,600 Patented July 16, 1968 gate, the improved mechanism not only facilitates opening and closing of the gate under norrnal service conditions but, contrary to the mechanisms now generally used, enables an operator to open the gate even when it is stuck shut, as by icingor cementing.

In the form illustrated as exemplary of the' invention, the improved power drive or operating mechanism, designated as 1, is particularly designed for use with an outsize discharge gate without requiring any substantial change to be made in the associated structure. Typical of discharge gates for railway hopper cars, the discharge or slide gate 2 is mounted for sliding or'reciprocat'ing be tween closed and open positions on a guide or slideway 3 in a gate frame 4 which is fixed to side sheets 5- of a hopper (not otherwise shown) and bounds' a discharge opening 6 closed and opened by the gate. Sliding through a gate-receiving slot 7 in a front end or wall 8'of the frame 4, the gate 2 in'open position has its outer part supported by side or stub rails 9 conveniently formed as integral extensions of the frames side walls 10 and presenting a continuation of the guideway 3..

For driving it along the guideway 3, the gate 2 has fixed to its underside laterally spaced, longitudinally extending racks 11 each drivably engageable with one of a plurality of pinions 12 spaced axially along and keyed or otherwise suitably fixed against rotation relative to a drive shaft 13. Extending across the frame 4 and through both side walls 10, the drive shaft 13, in the case of the preferred mechanism, is journalled beyond the side walls in bushings or bosses 14, each conveniently formed integrally with and instanding from an inner wall 15 of one of a pair of housings 16. Bolted or otherwise releasably secured to the frame 4, each of the illustrated housings 16 is mounted at its ends directly on the upright or vertical flanges 17 of a pair of longitudinally spaced angle brackets 18 welded or otherwise fixed to the outside of the adjoining side rail 9.

Each housing 16 is part of the drive mechanism and houses or contains a power gear train 19 thereof. If, as will usually be preferred, the gate 2 is to be operable from either side of the car, the mechanism 1 will include the illustrated pair of gear trains, one on each side of the frame 4. However, one gear train will suffice if the gate need be operated only from one side and in such case the far end of the drive shaft 13 will be suitably journalled in the corresponding side rail 9. As the gear trains 19 and their housings 16 will be counterpart in the preferred pair arrangement, a description of one will sufiice.

Each gear train 19 and its housing 16 are designed to be applied and removed as a unit. In addition, by spacing the mounting brackets 18 such that their vertical flanges 17 back only the integral ears 20 at the ends of the housing 16 and connecting the housing to each bracket at a single point by a single connecting or attaching bolt 21 coaxial or axially aligned with the corresponding bolt of the other housing, the housings of the preferred pair can be swung on one pair of coaxial bolts, on removal of the other pair, and in process swing the drive shaft 13 between operative and inoperative positions in which its pinions 12 are respectively engaged with and disengaged from the racks 11.

I Consequently, as in Floehr Patent No. 3,204,578, dated Sept. 7, 1965, the gate 2 can normally be limited in its outward movement on the guideway 3 by a blockage (not shown) in the teeth of one or both of the racks 11 adjacent their inner ends and yet be readily applied and removed simply by swinging the drive shaft 13 on the housings 16 to an inoperative, disengaged or cutof-the-way position.

Appropriately termable power gearing for the mechanical advantage it produces, the or each gear train 19 is bidirectional in the sense that it can either drive or be driven through the drive shaft 13 and for that purpose is formed of a plurality of externally toothed driving and driven gears, whicli'suitably may be spur gears. In the preferred train particularly suited for operating oversize gates, there are two pairs or sets of intermeshing, driving and driven gears, one a primary pair 22 and the other a secondary pair 23. The primary driving gear or pinion 24 of the primary pair 22 is mounted on its own primary shaft 25, while the companion primary driven gear or spur gear wheel 26 and the secondary driving gear or pinion 27 are mounted on a common intermediate shaft 28 through which the pairs are drivably connected. The secondary driven gear or spur gear wheel 29 of the second pair 23, at the output end of the train 19, has as its shaft the drive shaft 13.

The primary and intermediate shafts 25 and 28 are stub shafts which project through the outer wall 30 and inner wall 15 of the housing 16 and terminate inwardly short or outwardly of the adjoining side wall of the frame 4. Each of the stub shafts 25 or 28 mounts or contains its gear or gears between axially spaced outer and relatively reduced or smaller diameter inner journals 31 and 32, respectively. Insertable into position through the outer wall 30, each stub shaft 25 or 28 is releasably held in position in the housing 16 by an annular shoulder or stop 33 outwardly bounding its outer journal 31 and a cotter pin 34 and interposed washer 35 on its inner journal 32 beyond the inner wall 15.

So long as the aperture 36 in the outer wall 29 seating or receiving the outer journal 31 of the primary shaft 25 is of a diameter to pass the primary pinion 24, the latter can be integral or rigid with that shaft and applied and removed therewith through the aperture, By contrast, the primary spur wheel 26 and secondary pinion 27 preferably have a sliding fit with the intermediate shaft 28 and are connected or keyed thereto against relative rotation, as by having generally rectangular bores 37 each slidably and non-rotatively receiving a correspondingly out-of-round midsection 38 of the shaft and of such size as to he slidable over the shafts inner journal 32. Similarly, the secondary driven gear or spur wheel 29 has a square or otherwise out-of-round bore 39 for slidably and nonrotatively receiving the correspondingly configured end 40 of the drive shaft 13. The several gears are compactly pocketed in the housing 16 and all but the primary pinion 24 are contained axially between the outer and inner walls 30 and and are positioned thereby, each for engagement or intermeshing with the companion gear of its pair, the positioning preferably being assisted by providing the driven gears 26 and 29 with hub portions 41 of less diameter projecting axially from their opposite sides.

Otherwise closed to protect the gear train 19 from the elements, the housing 16 has a bottom opening 42 for insertion and removal of the primary driven gear 26 and secondary driving and driven gears 27 and 29. Internally, the housing 16 is so configured as to clean itself of any foreign matter entering through the opening 42 by discharging the matter through the same opening either immediately or on the next operation of the gear train 19.

Although the housings 16 of the preferred pair of gear trains 19 at opposite sides of the frame 4 are counterpart and not interchangeable, any of the gears and the primary and intermediate shafts and 28 are designed to be interchangeable with the corresponding parts of the other gear train for simplifying maintenance. Moreover, when maintenance is required, the sliding fit of the secondary driven gear 29 with the drive shaft 13 makes it possible to remove a gear train and its housing 16 as a unit simply by removing the two attaching bolts 21, whereupon the unit can be replaced by a like unit and the removed unit later repaired at a convenient repair shop, with consequent minimizing of the time the particular car is held out of service. Beyond these advantages, the bidirectionality or ability of the gear train 19 to drive or be driven by the drive shaft 13, when the mechanism 1 includes the preferred pair of gear trains 19 at opposite sides of the frame 4, enables the gear trains to be operated alternately without interference by either with operation of the other.

Not only does the preferred drive mechanism enable the gate 2 to be opened and closed from either side of a car, but the illustrated gear train 19 gives the operator the choice of a plurality of inputs providing different gear ratios therebetween and the secondary driven gear or output 29, from which he can select the one best suited for the condition in which he finds the door. This is ac complished by enabling the gear train 19 to be tapped or driven either through a primary input at or on the primary shaft 25 or through a secondary input at or on the secondary shaft 28, by forming or fitting the inner ends or heads of these shafts to take a suitable turning tool. A convenient arrangement is that illustrated in which the primary shaft 25 has a square head 43 for removably mounting thereon the primary input in the form of a capstan 44 and the head 45 of the intermediate shaft 28 has as the secondary input a socket 46 in its end in which an end of a suitable turning tool can be inserted. While there is wide latitude in the possible gear ratios, those suitable for an oversize gate are a low ratio between input and output of 3.321 for normal operation in which the gate 2 is driven from the secondary input 46 on the intermediate shaft 28 through the gears of the secondary pair 23 and a high ratio of 10.89z1, obtained by driving the gate from the primary input 44 on the primary shaft 25 through both the secondary pair and the primary pair 22 and available for opening the gate when it is stuck shut to the frame 4 or otherwise unmovable by the low ratio.

To ensure against tampering in transit, some provision must be made for locking the gate 2 in closed position. This is conveniently accomplished for the illustrated drive mechanism 1 with its pair of gear trains 19, by rotatably mounting on the outer pair of mounting brackets 18, outwardly of or beyond the housing 16, a lock shaft 47 extending across the frame 4 through the brackets and the end rails 9 and pivotally mounting locking pawls 48 on its opposite ends. Spaced outwardly from the adjoining mounting bracket 18 by a ferrule 49, each pawl 48 preferably has a cylindrically convex distal end 50 slidable or swingable, when the gate is in closed position, into a cylindrically concave seat 51 of the same radius in a confronting side of the adjoining capstan 44 and held in that position by engagement of a lug 52 on the pawl at the upper extremity of the convex surface with an abutment 53 on the capstan above the seat. While the locking pawl 48 can readily be swung on the shaft 47 from either side of the frame 4 into and out of locking position, the capstans 44 cannot be turned so long as the pawls are in locking position and sealing of the pawls in that position is simply a matter of applying the usual wire seal 54 through a hole 55 in the pawl and adjoining slots 56 in the capstan.

From the above detailed description it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved power drive mechanism for discharge gates which not only is readily applied and removed but in its preferred form permits an operator to select from a plurality of available gear ratios the one best suited for the condition of the door. It should be understood that the described and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended to be included that do not depart from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. Power drive mechanism for a hopper discharge gate slidably mounted in a frame and drivable longitudinally thereof between open and closed positions through a drive shaft, comprising a housing releasably attached to said frame, and a power gear train in said housing for driving said shaft, said gear train including a driven gear non-rotatively and slidably receiving a portion of said shaft for drivably connecting said gear train thereto and enabling said gear train to be disconnected therefrom by detaching said housing from said frame.

2. A mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the housing is attached to a side of the frame, and the driven gear is mounted on an end of the drive shaft and releasably held thereon by the housing.

3. A mechanism according to claim 2 wherein the housing and gear train are one of a pair of housed gear trains releasably attached to opposite sides of the frame and drivably connected through driven gears to opposite ends of the drive shaft.

4. A mechanism according to claim 3 wherein the gear trains are bidirectional and drivably connected only through the drive shaft.

5. A mechanism according to claim 4 wherein each housing is releasably attached to the frame at a plurality of spaced points, and at least one attaching point .of each housing is axially aligned with an attaching point of the other housing for enabling said housing when otherwise detached from said frame to be swung thereon about said aligned points and swing said drive shaft into and out of driving engagement with said gate.

6. Mechanism according to claim 4 wherein the housings have bottom openings for insertion and removal of the driven gears, and the other gears of the gear trains are mounted on stub shafts each releasably journalled in outer and inner walls of its housing.

7. Mechanism according to claim 6 wherein the gate is locked in closed position by locking means alternately actuatable from opposite sides of the frame and operative in locking position to lock driving gears of the gear trains against turning.

8. Power drive mechanism for a hopper discharge gate slidably mounted in a frame and drivable longitudinally thereof between open and closed positions through a drive shaft, comprising a power gear train mounted on said frame and having an output drivably connected to said drive shaft, said gear train having a plurality of inputs connected at different gear ratios to said output for selectively applying power at any of said ratios to said drive shaft.

9. Mechanism according to claim 8 wherein the gear train includes a plurality .of drivably connected pairs of driving and driven gears and each input is on a shaft nonrotatively mounting a driving gear of one of said pairs.

10. Mechanism according to claim 9' wherein the pairs of driving and driven gears are primary and secondary pairs, one input is on a shaft non-rotatively mounting a driving gear of the primary pair, and the other input is on a shaft non-rotatively mounting the driven gear of the primary pair and driving gear of the secondary pair.

11. Mechanism according to claim 8 wherein the gear train is mounted in an open-bottomed housing, the housing is releasably mounted on the frame, and the gear train is connected to the drive shaft for application and removal as a unit with said housing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,000,476 9/1961 Barry 188-162 3,127,782 4/1964 Hopping 74-405 3,348,638 10/1967 Littmann 188-162 402,174 4/1889 Mackall -282 X 3,089,435 5/1963 Floehr 105282 FRED C. MATTERN, JR., Primary Examiner.

W. S. RATLIFF, Assistant Examiner. 

